I don’t know about you, but I am happy to live in a world where I get to play Mighty No. 9.

What seemed like an impossible dream all but two or three years ago is now a reality, and here we are seeing Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune getting back in the driver’s seat of the genre that made him famous.

It would be easy to blindly dismiss Mighty No. 9 as just a Mega Man clone, and it could be just as easy to blindly accept it as one also. Beyond blasting enemies with his arm cannon, our hero Beck can stream together combos by dashing into stunned enemies. The footage doesn’t reveal the purpose of this mechanic other than looking really cool, but my guess is that there is a rewards system tucked away in there.

Beck also trumps his inspiration by obtaining the unfathomable ability to dash and aim diagonally. I mean, this new guy can can even fire vertically! Could the Mega Buster ever do that? I didn’t think so.

Beck is permanently equipped with what amounts to the Metal Blades, a reference any Mega Man 2 fan should shriek like a fangirl at.

In all fairness, it doesn’t stray too far from the formula, but that’s okay. Inti Creates and Comcept both have a lot of experience under their belt, and we are four long years removed from Mega Man 10. I’m sure these guys have a rash of ideas they need to scratch.

The gameplay footage also introduces us to each of Beck’s eight unsightly foes, the robot masters… I mean, Mighty Robots. Some habits are just too hard to break. It’s good to know who I am gunning for before I go gunning.

Mighty No. 9 is due for release next year on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PC, Mac, Linux, PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Whew… If you like what you see, be sure to check out Inti Creates’ other project, Azure Striker Gunvolt. It flows through the same veins.